Ale & Cider

Cask Ale is also known as cask conditioned beer or real ale. It’s not pasteurised and is very much alive; the brewer’s yeast is still active – conditioning the beer from a fining bed (or lees) at the bottom of the cask.

This conditioning takes the form of natural carbonation which has a much more subtle stimulation of the taste sensors than artificially added gases used to dispense keg beers from pressurised containers. Harveys is best known for the following cask ales produced for the pubs in Southern England.

Harvey's Old Ale ABV 4.3%

Available now!

A Victorian style dark winter brew produced from higher proportions of crystal malt. Harvey's Old is extremely popular and eagerly anticipated every year when it returns from summer recess. It was Harvey's first beer to win a National Award in 1952 and has won many other accolades since.

(Available in Winter October – March)

Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter ABV 4.0%

A superbly balanced bitter with a prominent hop character. Our most famous and popular brand – it makes up over 90% of our total brewing capacity. Winner of the Champion Best Bitter of Britain title at CAMRA’s Great British Beers Festival in 2005 and 2006.

Also known as Blue Label in bottle form.

I.P.A ABV 3.5%

With a delicate grassy and earthy hop aroma, the refreshing bitterness of this beer is balanced by the subtle malt flavours which make for an extremely drinkable pint that has a dry finish and lasting after taste.

Black Stout ABV 4.8%

Available now!

An authentic Porter Stout with undertones of coffee and chocolate. Pale, crystal and black malt sugars are balanced by the bitterness of Fuggle and Golding aroma hops to create this fresh, dry beer.

Gold Bier ABV 4%

Available now!

Gold Bier is for any time, any place. The golden colour is derived from a premium malted barley originally grown for continental lagers. This dry, balanced ‘bier’ has a soft malt palate that is offset by the gentle bitterness of local Fuggle and Golding hops. A thirst quenching and refreshing brew, it is best served chilled.

Wild Hop ABV 3.7%

Beautifully balanced, but a bit on the wild side!

Brewed with the aptly named ‘Sussex Hop’ – originally discovered growing wild in a hedgerow in Sussex, but now cultivated as a variety in its own right. It is supplemented with Cascade hops grown in the UK.

Armada Ale ABV 4.5%

A premium bitter ale with vibrant hop tones. A brewer’s choice. In 1988 the Maritime Museum in Greenwich commissioned Harveys to brew a 400th anniversary beer in celebration of the defeat of the Spanish Armada; many of the ships were sunk off the Sussex coast.

Subject to availability throughout the year.

Sussex Mild ABV 3.0%

A dark malty mild. Ideal sustenance when there is physical work to be done. Harvey's awards for milds date back over half a century and this style of beer enjoys a long heritage at the brewery.

Subject to availability throughout the year.

Olympia ABV 4.3%

(Available April – September)

A cool golden summer ale. Very refreshing with a balanced complexity. It was first produced in 2005 to celebrate our major summer award at Kensington Olympia for Best Bitter. It became an instant hit and is especially appreciated when served at 11 degrees Celsius.

Harvey's Seasonal Ale Tom Paine ABV 5.5%

(July Seasonal Ale)

A dry hopped, robust Pale Ale named after the author of ‘Rights of Man’, who was an Excise Officer in Lewes between 1768-1774. Originally released for Independence Day, twenty-five years ago, it launched the concept of seasonal brews ‘for one month only’ and celebrated independent brewers.